Hideaki the New Engine
Dear Friends, Our brand new engine for the Main Line, Hideaki, has finally been completed. We've all been excited to see him in steam for the very first time. Oni, the little engine who helped put him together at our Works, has been delighted too. “That big guy's going to go far on these rails,” he told me. “Trust me, I know – I'm the one who built him!” However, Hideaki himself wasn't so sure. One bad trip to the station by the scrap yards made him wonder why the Upper Valley Railway didn't build a diesel instead of him...but thanks to some wise words from an old friend of the railway, he's doing better than ever, and he's become very proud. Maybe too proud for his own good...! The Author Ji Yeon's Story Ji Yeon, the little engine who was recently rescued, was going to the Works to be mended. The Little Controller spoke kindly to her as she was loaded by crane onto her waiting flatbed. “You're a very special engine,” he said, “and we want to make sure you're working harder than ever when you come home.” Ji Yeon beamed. “Thank you, Sir,” she wheezed. Kudo was at the platform as he watched her be prepared to leave. He whistled loudly and Yume rang her bell. “Come back soon!” they called to her. At that moment, No. 12 arrived to take Ji Yeon to the Works. He buffered up behind her flatbed, and he puffed away. Ji Yeon was glad to be in front, because now she could see all around her. “My,” she gasped quietly as they puffed down the line. “How much everything's changed...” When they at last reached the Works, No. 12 shunted her flatbed into the building. He stopped not too far from the entrance when he noticed something. Standing at the entrance to the works was a big engine No. 12 had never seen before. He was running in the railway's green and yellow colors, and he had the number 6 on the side of his cab. He had six drive wheels, smoke deflectors, a tender, and a round tube on his front, just above his buffers. Oni chuffed up alongside No. 12. “Oh hey,” he chirped, “are you here for my autograph? Because look at this work of art I've crafted!” The new engine grinned at No. 12. “It's a pleasure to meet you,” he said in his deep voice. “My name is Hideaki. And you are...?” “He doesn't have a name,” Oni said. “He's got no voice either. I always wanted to try fixing that.” Ji Yeon chucked. “I don't think you can 'fix' muteness,” she said to him. Hideaki noticed Ji Yeon. “Look at that!” he exclaimed. “Covered in all that dirt and grime... what in the world happened to you?” “I've been stuck in an underground tunnel for over twenty years,” Ji Yeon said bluntly. Oni's eyes lit up. “Hey! You!” he shouted at the workmen. “We've got a new project on our hands! Get everyone in here, quickly!” Ji Yeon watched Oni scramble away to find workmen. “Excitable little guy, isn't he?” “Oh, never mind him,” Hideaki said. He was fascinated by the little old engine. “Tell me about yourself.” “With pleasure,” Ji Yeon smiled. No. 12 went to take on water nearby as she began her story. “I was first bought,” she began, “to work on some railway in China. But then the line was closed before I even got there, and a nice man – he called himself a “Representative” – he stepped in and offered to take me to a different island, to help out with a new quarry. He took one look at me and told me I was perfect for the job. I couldn't turn that down. “So I came here, and I worked at this nice quarry near a village. There was a tramway there, and a little engine named Kudo. He was the first engine there, and he showed me around and taught me everything he knew. We became really good friends.” She closed her eyes and chuckled. “Oh, the adventures we had,” she chuckled. “I was even a hero once or twice. And every spring, Kudo and I would pull a special train together to watch the blossoms...” “So how did you get stuck in the tunnel?” Hideaki asked. “Well,” Ji Yeon continued as her smile faded away, “after the earthquake, my quarry was so wrecked that only one tunnel remained operable. What was left of the quarry was closed, and I went to live with Kudo on his line. The slate line had to be closed when lorries took it over, and then the village was evacuated during the war. As for me, they left me in the last quarry tunnel, and hoped I would be found again someday.” No. 12 and Hideaki stared. “Wow, that kinda sucked for you,” quipped Oni. No. 12 glared and hissed steam at him. “How'd you manage to stay around for so long?” Hideaki asked. “I'm not sure,” she sighed. “I just closed my eyes and kind of... dreamed. I thought of all the better days, and hoped I would be a Really Useful Engine again, someday.” “Really Useful?” Hideaki asked. He had only heard the words shared between the workmen, but nobody had explained what they meant. “That's when an engine works hard, is reliable, and helps around wherever they're needed,” Ji Yeon said with a smile. “It means you're dependable and make sure the railway is a better, happier, and easier place for everybody.” “There's nothing better than being called Really Useful!” Oni chimed in. “Trust me, my old owners at the brewery never called me that, and I got sent here to work instead!” Hideaki was shocked. “They send you away if you're not useful?” he asked. No. 12 hissed steam at Oni. “What?” he yelped. “That's what happened!” Before Ji Yeon could clarify what Oni was trying to say, the workmen arrived. “Come along, old girl,” they told her. “We're going to make you as good as new!” Ji Yeon looked over to Hideaki. “Don't worry,” she said kindly. “We'll talk more tomorrow about it.” But that never came. While Ji Yeon was being examined, the Big Controller arrived. “We're taking you to our sheds for the night,” he said. “Tomorrow, you're going to learn the Main Line.” No. 12 coupled up and pulled Hideaki away from the works. When they arrived at the shed, Hideaki was shunted aside, and No. 12 scrambled off to do other work he was already late for. Hideaki looked nervously around in the shed. He was excited about tomorrow, but Ji Yeon's story and Oni's words echoed in his mind. First Day Blues The next morning, Hideaki was feeling much better after being put in steam. He sizzled happily while he watched the other engines getting prepared around him. He met No. 12's friend Misaki, who introduced him to the other steam engines: Naomi, Morning Light, and Ryu were pleased to meet him. As No. 12 was going to help out on Naomi's branch line for a few days, Misaki took Hideaki to the Main Station to take his very first train. “You'll double-head it with Ryu,” she explained. “He knows the line better than anyone.” “I know I do,” Ryu chuffed proudly as he pulled in alongside them. Misaki rolled her eyes. “Hey,” she said sternly, “this isn't the time to be showing off. He's only just joined, you know.” “Okay, fine,” Ryu chuckled. “Now quit busting my buffers!” A little red engine named Katsu arranged the heavy coaches. Ryu was coupled up first, and he ordered Hideaki to couple in front of him. “You can't learn the line with my tender in your face, right?” Ryu laughed. The guard blew his whistle, and the two engines slowly set off. Before too long, they were out on the open line. “Here,” Ryu called out, “is where we sprint!” Hideaki whistled in reply, and started to puff faster and faster. Ryu sped up as well, but Hideaki was going so fast now that he started to pull at Ryu's weight as well. “Whoa, careful!” he shouted. “You're already going faster than me!” Hideaki blushed. “Sorry!” he replied as his Driver checked his speed. The rest of the journey was less eventful, though Hideaki couldn't help but love the sights and sounds. They passed the Works, puffed through the Valley Station, and were soon crossing the bridge to the other Island. “We're near Keikan,” Ryu explained. “It's where Twelve and I used to live. We had another friend there, Hiro, but he's gone now.” “Gone?” Hideaki felt nervous. “He was sent away?” “Yep,” Ryu said. “We were being replaced, so Twelve and I were bought, but Hiro was shipped to another island...some place called Sodor. It was a shame to see him go. Man, he was the most useful engine out of all of us!” Hideaki's heart sank. The two engines soon pulled into the Station, and the passengers got off for the train to the Mainland. While Ryu went off to take on water, Hideaki noticed three square engines watching him from the siding. They were black with yellow stripes, and each had four yellow wheels and a cab in their middle. None of them looked like steam engines at all. Hideaki gulped and looked away. But just as he did so, he heard the three of them rumbled up alongside him. “Well, what do we have here?” cooed the one in front, a devious smile on her face. “Another one for the scrap heap?” “Feh,” snarled the second one, licking at his gold fang, “he looks too new to be scrap metal. Wanna try anyway?” The third one stared dumbly at Hideaki. “But,” he said slowly, “I thought boss said we can't without permission...” “You always listen to what everyone tells you?” the second engine snapped. “Now stop being stupid and help us move this smoke-spouting nuisance.” But before they could, another bigger engine slid in. He was black too, but with bright orange stripes and twelve wheels. “Shoot,” the first engine whispered. “Raiden won't want us messing around here.” And she backed up, the other two engines rolling away with her. They were gone once Raiden stopped beside Hideaki. “Sorry about that lot,” he said coolly. “The Scrap Shunters aren't too fond of visitors, you can see.” “Y-yeah...” Hideaki agreed. The three engines were worrisome, but this new engine was even more intimidating. “The name's Raiden,” he said politely. “I'm the biggest and strongest around here. What brings you to our humble home?” “Just...work,” Hideaki said quietly. “Would you know anything about an engine named Hiro?” “Oh, him?” Raiden said with a frown. “He's not here anymore. They sent him away years ago. He was replaced by diesels. Newer, better technology that makes steam engines Really Useless. You know what diesels are... like me.” Raiden rolled away laughing, leaving Hideaki with a look of horror on his smokebox. When Ryu arrived for the return journey, he couldn't understand why Hideaki was being so quiet. The return journey was awful. While Hideaki was going beautifully on the first run, on the way back, he was struggling to get back into steam. When Ryu called out to get him to speed up, Hideaki would jump nervously and speed up, but only slow down again minutes later. The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable for the passengers. When they arrived at the Valley Station, they all complained to the Stationmaster, and then promptly to Hideaki. The big new engine could have never felt smaller or sadder. He puffed into a siding, leaving Ryu to take the next train on his own. “Hey man, don't worry,” he said. “It's probably first day blues. You'll do better in no time.” And he hurried off with his train. Hideaki rested before a workman came along. “Could you take these goods down to the branch line for us?” he asked. “Our usual engine's busy today.” “We'll do our best,” the Driver said before Hideaki could protest. He was soon coupled to a small train of stone trucks, and he puffed down the line. He was still going sporadic with his puffing and his Driver was frustrated. “Come on!” he called out. “What's the matter with you?” Luckily, Hideaki managed to arrive at the Main Station on time. Katsu was surprised to see him. “I thought you were going to work with Ryu today,” he said curiously. “I was,” Hideaki said quietly. “But we went to this one station over the bridge, and...well...it's silly, it's not worth talking about.” Katsu frowned. “Oh,” he said. “I guess you met the engines over there.” Hideaki blinked. “You know them?” he said. “Met Ryu when he came here. Met the other three by accident. Look, Twelve knows a guy who can help you out. Ask him about it.” “Uh, thanks...” Hideaki said, but Katsu was already gone to arrange Morning Light's train. Shane and the Diesel Engine No. 12 arrived to collect the stone trucks, and Hideaki explained what Katsu had said. No. 12 smiled and tooted at him. He coupled up to the trucks and puffed down the line, whistling. “Does he want us to follow him?” Hideaki asked his Driver. He slowly puffed onto the branch line, and was soon right behind No. 12. The rails and ground groaned under the big engine. “Whoa,” he gulped before calling out to No. 12. “Hey listen, I don't think the rails can take my weight, maybe we should—” But No. 12 only went faster and plunged into a dark, curved tunnel. Hideaki sighed and followed right behind him. The curve and slope weren't too difficult for him, but his Driver and Fireman complained dreadfully about the smoke. When they emerged from the tunnel. No. 12 was already a long way ahead. Hideaki did his best to catch up with him. They finally came to a stop at a yard surrounded by trees and wooden buildings. No. 12 shunted the trucks away into a siding before puffing toward a siding obscured by logs. He tooted loudly. “Oh, s'at you, Twelve?” came a wheezing voice. “Wha's th' trouble?” Hideaki soon heard a loud clanking sound, and from behind the logs emerged a strange and crooked engine. His boiler was on the left side of his frame, and his right side had three cylinders sticking downward. He was painted brown with black stripes, had a long tube next to his smokebox, a wide funnel, and had what looked like both a bunker and a tender. “So yer the new 'un?” he said as he eyed Hideaki. “Pleased ter meet yeh. Th' name's Shane.” “That's... not a very Japanese name,” Hideaki said. “Well I ain't a very Japanese engine!” Shane laughed. “Us Shay types were mostly built in th' States, but we've been all o'er the world.” No. 12 went to organize some trucks while Hideaki and Shane talked. “So what do you do?” Hideaki asked. “I'm a loggin' engine,” Shane said proudly. “Since th' day Ah was built, Ah've been puffin' up these slopes better than any other engine. Ah'm proud of what Ah do. Ah musta come here...uh... a good sixty years ago or so.” “Sixty years? You've been useful for that long?” Hideaki said. Shane chuckled. “Ah got the feelin' you met some of them Keikan diesels, right? Nasty lot, they are. Always discouragin' and bullyin'.” Hideaki stared down at the ground. “Exactly,” he sighed. “One o' them crept into here once,” Shane remembered. “Mari, her name was. Small an' black, an' had a frightenin'ly calm smile. There's a monster under tha' smile o' hers.” Shane paused to think. “She was jus' comin' for a test run, and Ah wasn' up ter speed. Ah remember the firs' thin' she said when she saw me, it was 'Ol' man, yeh better make th' best o' what you got. Ye'll be in th' scrap heap sooner o' later'.” “What'd you do?” “Ah just ignored her. Thought she'd get tired o' it soon. But lo, she didn't!” Shane gave a wheezing laugh. “She said all that but she couldn't climb th' line worth a darn withou' me. She didn' get it, but Ah did. 'Wait a while,' Ah told mahself. 'She'll figure it out.' “It came t' a head one mornin'. I was havin' a pain of a time getting' in steam, so she thought she could take th' trucks up th' slope withou' me. An' jus' ter show off, she took some extra more. Ah tried ter warn 'er, but she wouldn' listen. “So up she went with the trucks, and she's halfway up before she finally figures what Ah've been tellin' her. She can't move a wheel and the trucks are tired o' her. So they start to pull 'er back down the line. “So Ah'm ready to get goin' when there she comes backwards inter the yard. She stops, but her trucks go flyin'! None got hurt, glad ter say, but it was a big ol' mess.” Hideaki tried to imagine Mari running backwards down a hill, and couldn't help but laugh. “S'like wha' Ah was tryin' to tell 'er th' whole time,” Shane chuckled. “We all got a different purpose.” “What do you mean?” “Wha' Ah mean is,” Shane explained, “We're all built t' do differen' stuff. She was built t' shunt in yards. Ah'm built to pull heavy stuff through forests. Ye'r built to pull goods an' people, from what Ah can see. Ah'm too slow an' ckunky to go on th' Main Line. But Ah'm happy with what Ah do.” “But that big diesel, Raiden,” Hideaki said, “he said steam engines are useless nowadays.” Shane burst into a loud wheezing laugh. “Is tha' wha' he said? He's still got loads t' learn. All big an' tough an' not one friend t' name.” Just then, No. 12 whistled loudly. “Ahh boy,” Shane said, “the train's ready. Y'all should be makin' yer way back home soon.” Hideaki and No. 12 were soon coupled to their lumber trains. “What should I do,” Hideaki asked Shane, “if I hear from those diesels again?” Shane grinned. “Jus' 'member this 'bout Raiden,” he chuffed. “Tha' big ol' brute gives up after th' first wrong thin' happens on his train. We steamers, we keep goin', we always keep goin', even on one cylinder. As long as there are rails, there'll be steam. Don' forget that, kid.” Hideaki said “goodbye” and “thank you” to Shane, and he was soon steaming along with No. 12 to the good yard. They shunted the trucks neatly into the siding, where Misaki would take them away the following day. It was pitch black outside when they made their way back to the Sheds to rest, only to find that Morning Light was mysteriously absent. But waiting for Hideaki was the Big Controller, looking worried. “I know today wasn't the best, but we need your help tomorrow,” he said sternly. “Morning Light's gone in early for his examination, and we need an engine to take his Express in the morning. Do you think you can do it?” Hideaki glanced at No. 12, who could only smile back at him. Hideaki took a deep breath. “Yes, Sir,” he said with a grin. “I know I can do it.” Stopping Sunrise Morning finally came. Even though it was spring, Hideaki was taken by surprise when he felt a chill flow through the shed doors. His Driver and Fireman arrived wearing scarves. “It'll warm up by noon, hopefully,” they told him. The Firelighter had come early, and Hideaki was sizzling happily. “No cold air's gonna break my good mood,” he said boldly. His Driver was astonished. “A big difference from yesterday, isn't it?” he whispered to the Fireman. He puffed into the station to get plenty of water and coal before making his way to Keikan. Katsu was there, preparing another train. “Watch yourself,” he advised. “The Sunlight Express isn't any ordinary train.” Hideaki smiled. “I'll be fine,” he said. “Don't worry about it at all. I'll be back here early.” Katsu laughed. “From a worry-wheels to a big shot, and in one day! Now I've seen everything!” Before long, Hideaki was off. His Driver decided to go through the valley line to save time. It was Hideaki's first time, and he was amazed. Seeing the sun rising over the valley was a wonderful sight indeed. On the line below, a little blue narrow gauge engine was puffing along, and it tooted cheerfully up at Hideaki. The big engine was delighted, and in return, he blew the longest and loudest whistle he had ever blown. They passed the Valley Station and were soon puffing over the long bridge to Keikan. The closer they got, the more courage Hideaki tried to muster. “They're not getting to me today,” he said confidently. “I'll show them how useful I can be.” “That's the spirit!” the Fireman called out proudly. Hideaki finished the journey safely and arrived at the station. The big blue coaches were waiting on the platform. Passengers were everywhere as they exchanged their morning train from one of the Mainland's trains. As Hideaki went onto the turntable, he noticed Raiden and the small diesels eying him from the corner of the yard. Remembering what Shane had said, Hideaki ignored Raiden as the big diesel crept alongside. “Pulling the Express today, are you?” he asked with a sly smile. Hideaki glanced over. “Why do you ask?” “No reason.” Raiden rolled away backwards. “Mari! Kenji! Toki! Get my train ready!” he barked at the three shunters as he vanished from view. Hideaki's turntable stopped, and he puffed off to find his train. “That diesel's up to no good,” his Driver said. “Why won't he just leave us alone?” Hideaki made his way to the platform, where the coaches were filled and ready to go. He was coupled to the train, and the Guard walked up and down the train. They were about to go when they heard a loud groaning sound. There was Raiden, slowly pulling a long line of trucks. He rolled right over the points in front of Hideaki. “What in the world?” Hideaki said. “HEY! What do you think you're doing?” “Just moving some trucks!” Raiden called back. “Don't worry, I'll be—” He never finished. Just as the last truck rolled onto Hideaki's line, there was a loud crack, and Raiden ground to a halt. “Whoops,” he muttered with a smirk, “seems like I'm broken down!” Hideaki was furious. “That jerk!” he snorted. “He's deliberately trying to delay me!” The passengers were growing anxious. Hideaki's Driver and Fireman began to plan. “Should we just shunt him off into a siding?” the Driver asked. “Some of those trucks are meant for us,” the Fireman observed. “Those can't be delayed either.” “Why not push him all the way there?” Hideaki asked. His Driver and Fireman stared. “Push a diesel and his train while pulling yours? Are you sure you can handle that?” “Of course! This kind of work is what I'm built for, isn't it?” Hideaki said proudly. The crew discussed the plan with the Stationmaster, who went off to make some phone calls. He returned shortly. “Get as far as the Valley Station,” he said. “Ryu will be able to take over from there.” They got Hideaki coupled to Raiden's train. Meanwhile, the Stationmaster ordered the three diesels to help by pushing behind. They were reluctant, but when he threatened to tell their Controller about what had happened, they quickly buffered up behind Hideaki's train. “Are you ready?” Hideaki's Driver called out. “One...two...three... HEAVE!” Slowly and gradually, the cavalcade began to move. Hideaki pulled and pushed as hard as he could, and the three diesels behind him gave a mighty effort as well. Soon the train was running nicely, and they were crossing the bridge back to the Island. The diesels stopped to go back, letting Hideaki take the rest of the train on his own. As he puffed along, he passed lots of his new friends. They were amazed at the sight and cheered him on. Hideaki wanted to whistle back to them, but he had no more spare steam; he could feel the weight of Raiden and his train start to slow him down. They arrived at the Valley Station just as Ryu was pulling in. “Well look at that, you're early!” he said in amazement. “Hiro would've been proud!” Raiden hissed furiously when he heard that. Hideaki shunted him aside and took the diesel's goods, while Ryu took over the Express. A little yellow narrow gauge engine congratulated Hideaki before she ran off to tell the others what she had just seen. By the end of the day, everyone had heard Hideaki's story, and the Big Controller came to thank him personally for his effort. Hideaki was delighted to be called a “Really Useful Engine” for the very first time. “Now I won't get sent away!” he cheered triumphantly. “Wait until I tell Oni about this!” He now shares the Sunlight Express duties with Morning Light, who has been teaching him a little bit more every day. “He's diligent,” he tells the others. “But I think it's all gone to his smokebox. He just doesn't stop talking about himself now!” Even Ryu has grumbled about Hideaki's new attitude...and coming from Ryu, that's saying something. But all the engines do agree that despite Hideaki's new proud and boastful nature, he's one of the family, and a Really Useful Engine.